Where to stay

Tokyo's central Marunouchi district has a wealth of electronics and fashion shops and malls within just a short radius; great restaurants are everywhere too. The hotels closest to Tokyo Station are best for easy access to basically all of Tokyo, including the airport. Nihombashi, with its main department stores just to the east of the station, is another great neighborhood to stay. While its hotels are slightly less central, the Ginza area has Tokyo's iconic Wako Department Store with the Hattori Clock Tower. Ginza Station hotels place visitors right between the Imperial Palace gardens and Chuo by the Sumida River. Akasaka has many luxurious hotels dotted among its main shopping streets where stores sell quirky gifts and handy gadgets. Shinjuku and Shibuya to the west of central Tokyo also spoil shoppers with weird and wonderful fashion, crafts, souvenirs and electronics. Since Shinjuku and Shibuya are on the Yamanote Line, both are very convenient, and fun, neighborhoods to find accommodations.

Hungry and thirsty vacationers in Tokyo can find great restaurants, ramen shops, sushi trains and little bars around every bend, no matter where they stay, but some neighborhoods stand out. The city's famous Roppongi nightlife hub isn't that far from Tokyo Station. Staying in this trendy neighborhood is ideal for those wanting to eat, drink or dance the night away. Just to the north, quieter and more upscale Akasaka is another good neighborhood to find a hotel in, with some nice cocktail bars where you can end the night in style. Not far from here, Shinjuku ni Chome, dubbed the "Gayest Place in Tokyo," is one of Asia's largest nightlife and entertainment districts. Nishi-Shinjuku is Tokyo's "Skyscraper District," with lofty restaurants and cocktail bars and hotels with luxurious penthouse suites to best enjoy Tokyo by night.

From central Marunouchi or Chiyoda hotels it's possible to stroll to Tokyo's famous Imperial Palace with the East Gardens and picturesque Nijubashi Bridge. The very convenient hotels of the Shinjuku neighborhood to the west are great for daily visits to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, an inner-city park with beautiful gardens and trees in all sizes and colors. From Shinjuku you can also reach the Big Buddha at the local Taisoji Temple and the Hanazono Jinja Shrine. Ueno, which has the huge Ueno-koen Park with its cherry blossom trees and zoo as well as many of Japan's national museums, still has traditional Japanese inns, or "ryokan." Ueno is part of the Taito ward, which has plenty of hotels that will put you close to attractions such as Nakamise Shopping Street, a great place to try traditional snacks and buy souvenirs.

Apart from Haneda, home to Tokyo International Airport, and Narita, which surrounds the city's other main international airport, the most convenient places to stay in Tokyo are those hotels and neigborhoods along the downtown section of the JR Yamanote Line, the main metro loop of central Tokyo. Both the Marunouchi and Nihombashi neighborhoods have excellent hotels close to the central Tokyo Station. Shibuya and Shinjuku may be farther west, but are also great neighborhoods to stay. The hotels close to the Shimbashi Station are only two metro stops away from Tokyo Station. Just south of there, the Shiodome and Hamamatsucho station areas have many hotel towers that are also within walking distance of the ferry and cruise lines of Tokyo Bay. Shinagawa, to the south of Minato City, is another major transportation hub. Savvy travelers staying in Shinagawa can jump on both the Yamanote Line and the Tokaido Shinkansen line for fast connections to Koto City ward and other Japanese cities. Kyoto, for example, is just 2.5 hours away on the Nozomi bullet train.